In 2007, business leaders and citizens formed Escambia TaxWatch to review county expenditures and propose cuts to reduce ad valorem taxes. The county budget from FY 2005 to FY 2007 had grown from $442.7 million to $458.9 million–$16.1 million or 3.6 percent. The general fund budget had increased $47 million, 40 percent.
The group hired Florida TaxWatch to analyze the county budgets. By FY 2009, the millage rate for Escambia County had been reduced from 8.756 to 6.976 (a state constitutional amendment also helped with the reduction).
Mayor Ashton Hayward has proposed the largest budget in the city’s history, $239,718,600 – $10.86 million more than the current budget, a 4.75-percent increase. Since FY 2014, the city budget has gone from $192.3 million to $239.7 million proposed for next year-—a $47.45 million increase (25 percent).
It may be time for a new TaxWatch group that will focus on the City of Pensacola budget. The conditions appear to be worse than what prompted the formation of the citizens’ group a decade ago.
Time is short. The budget will be approved in September. We don’t have time to hire Florida TaxWatch.
If you have an accounting or financial background and are interested in helping with the analysis, please email me – rick@inweekly.net. There will be no dues, but you might have to pay for the city’s public records.